Fighting In A Flat
by SissiCuddles
Summary: What if House and Cuddy are forced to live under the same roof? Will the bantering, bickering and yelling have the best over the two of them? Takes place during the Luddy fiasco, no Lucas in the picture tho'. Written by SissiCuddles and Samisa2. R
1. Chapter 1

_Heyaaaa guys and gals! Here I am with a new fic. I wrote this with a friend of mine in Italian, so this is a **translation** but **with new bits**.** Samisa2** (twitter) and I are happy to upload it in English thanks also to **SammiMD**, my abso-fuckin-lutely amazing beta-reader!_

_This story takes place in **mid-season 6**, during the Luddy period *pukes*. Anyway Lucas won't be on the story, it's House and Cuddy centric with just few mentions of him. _

**_Read and Review... Thnx :)_**

* * *

**:::FIGHTING IN A FLAT:::**

**Chapter 1.**

The water from the shower head ran quickly out of the tub: off her body and then down the drain. She was deep in thought. She had been in this house for a few days now, but felt as if she had always lived there, as if the apartment had been hers all this time.

"Dr. Cuddy. I'm sorry but it will take about a week to eliminate all the termites. We have to close up the entire house. You will need to move out and stay with some relatives or a friend, or in a hotel. You cannot stay here. I'm sorry"

That had been earlier today, when a nice man in his thirties had come to her house and ordered her to move elsewhere. He told her to go stay with family...

_I have no family here except my daughter._

...or a friend...

_I have no friends except two weird doctors._

So she tried to book a room in a hotel near the hospital.

"I'm sorry Doctor, but there are no rooms available. There's a reunion at the University of Princeton this week - we are fully booked, sorry."

Bad things happen all at once: when something bad happens something else always comes along within a couple of days, and you find yourself in complete chaos. She was in trouble and she truly didn't want to be in that situation, not at that moment. She felt obliged to ask a favor of her old friends

_Friends!_

She didn't know if she could call them friends. They no longer really spoke to her.  
Wilson had been avoiding her and their traditional lunch for a few weeks now, and House didn't speak to her if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

"Why are you asking us? Can't you ask your boyfriend, Lucas? He's homeless, is he?"

She stood there, stunned by Wilson's question; she truly hadn't expected him to behave this way. Had she really ruined their friendship? Their relationship had always made her feel so comfortable and safe.

"I can't go to his place. He's working on a complicated case and it'll be... dangerous, you know..."  
"Dangerous?"  
"Not dangerous as such, but annoying: I'd be a nuisance with my own habits, and Rachel's. He uses his home as an office: customers arriving at all hours, things scattered all over the floor..."  
"I'm still not sure about this."  
"Wilson! Are you going to help me or not?"

Her tone was too annoyed and argumentative. It wasn't like her usual administrative tone.

_Why am I being so hard __on him?_

She stood there hopeless, helpless. She had a child with her, but no place to sleep. Her maternal instincts began to kick the rational part of her mind.

…So…?

She felt alone in the house, even though Rachel was in the bedroom sleeping. She spent a few minutes thinking about what had happened that day.

She had been to work, signed the usual pointless documents that needed her approval, seen a few patients in the clinic, and given two consults. A normal day, but that night she felt more tired than usual.

The water ran faster on her shoulders, pouring out warm relief. She hadn't the strength to move. There she was – defenses down, thinking about her life. She knew she had to get out of the shower. She had so many things to do, but she couldn't move.

Suddenly a loud noise made her jump: it was the microwave timer warning her that the pizza was ready. When she'd arrived and opened the refrigerator of the abandoned house she hadn't found any food, as expected. So she decided to heat a pre-packaged pizza she had bought on the way. She would warm up a bit of milk for Rachel. Their dinner was all settled.

She turned off the shower, took the robe that she found in the first closet, since she had forgotten to bring her own, and left the bathroom. She dried fast, trying not to waste any time: she was cold and hungry. She began to quickly dry her hair when Rachel started getting fussy.

She went into the bedroom and took Rachel in her arms, trying to calm her down.

"Rachel, don't cry. You're a big girl now and big kids don't cry."

She put the girl on the sofa and turned on the TV, "America's Smartest Model", and laughed. She thought that if he could see her, he would have mocked her for watching that kind of TV program. She started channel surfing unsuccessfully - there weren't any interesting programs on.

She turned off the light because Rachel had fallen asleep again. She returned to the other room to get something comfortable for the night. Among other things, she had also forgotten her pajamas. It wasn't really her fault: she'd had to take everything she needed so quickly that she hadn't had the time to think about what she would need.

_I forgot all the more important things._

She took the first T-shirt she found in the third drawer. The shirt was slightly big, but she wore it anyway. She put the robe on the bed and returned to the kitchen.

The pizza was cold, but she didn't care. She was too sleepy to think of re-heating it. She cut it into slices then walked to the fridge and took out a bottle of water.

_I really need to do some shopping tomorrow. _

She could sense a headache starting to kick in.

_I'm really tired._

She was staring at the half empty fridge when she heard another noise. This time it wasn't the oven. She focused a bit more, trying to figure out what it was. By the time she did, it was too late...

He hadn't thought about a way to get revenge. In fact, he hadn't even thought about revenge at all. But what that man had done was too much - due to a stupid over-protective P.I. he couldn't watch the new episode of General Hospital on Wilson's TV.

"_House, I think we should take some revenge on that guy"_

_Revenge? If you want to taste real revenge, it has to be planned to perfection. Every single detail has to be agreed upon with your partner-in-crime, and every single weakness of the poor victim has to be examined._

House took his coat and left the loft he shared with Wilson, cursing the poor detective and his girlfriend who had removed cable from the coma patients' rooms.

"_I'm going to__ a place where possums are not part of the fauna and where Oncologists do NOT dry their hair with a hair dryer in the morning!"_

That's what he told Wilson before limping out of the door that evening. House was sure Wilson was hiding something from him because every time he left the house he nervously asked where he was going.

_Either he has a new girlfriend and doesn't want me to scare the crap out of her or he's keeping a secret from me._

He got on his bike, put his helmet on, put the cane in the support, and started the engine. In less than ten minutes he was in front of his old apartment.

He parked his bike on the street and, without looking at the other parked cars, he limped up the three steps leading him to the green front door.

His soap opera was starting in a few minutes. The twins would confess to being the ones who had poisoned the Dean. It was going to be fun.

He climbed the stairs, opened the door and walked along the dimly lit corridor.

_It's been months since I've been here. Hopefully there is still beer in the fridge._

He reached the door of his apartment and took the keys out of his pocket.

Everything sounded so calm - there wasn't any noise but the light footsteps coming from the others apartments. He inserted the key in the lock, turned the key and opened the door.

He heard a rustle, the sound of something falling, the refrigerator door snapping shut, and an in-drawn breath.

"What the hell are you doing here?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone, I'm so sorry for the delay. My beat reader and I have tried our best to update sooner but our lives have been quite a mess. Anyway, we did finally upload this chapter, no? Thanks for all your reviews and the Story alerts, it means a lot to me and Samisa2. You can find us on twitter and also my beta, SammiMD.

I have to than Sam for her amazing job and for being able to actually get along with me for such a long time. *hugs*

I've starved my Review Monster, now it's your turn to feed him, okay? Read and Review, thankies!

**

* * *

Fighting in a flat **

**Chapter 2**

She dropped the bottle of water when she heard his voice. She turned and stared at him, unable to utter a single sound: she hadn't expected visits, much less one from House. She stood in the kitchen, staring at him in amazement, her eyes fixed on him without moving, as if she had been paralyzed. He bent down to pick up the bottle that had landed at his feet and hand it back to her. As their fingers touched, her mind was flooded with questions. After a minute of awkward silence, she decided to be the grown up and break the silence.

"What are you doing here?"

"_She's wearing my clothes, in my kitchen. Gosh, she's half naked and the only thing she can say is "What are you doing here?" _he thought. He was clever and usually ready with a witty remark for awkward situations like this, but never in his life had something like this happened. He already knew how to deal with Cuddy though: keep control of his emotions, analyze every single detail, pay attention to the topic at hand, and don't let her deflect. He was used to their bantering and bickering, this shouldn't be any harder than usual.

"What are YOU doing here?"

"Wilson didn't tell you, did he?" she snapped, annoyed.

Seeing him shaking his head and sarcastically mouthing a no, she was sure that he was joking. Why wouldn't Wilson tell him about the whole situation? Maybe House just wanted to force her into a corner and mock her for some childish reason she hadn't thought of yet. House, on the other hand, had a confirmation for his hypothesis: Wilson really had kept something hidden from him. "_I knew that Wilson was taking part in some plot, but I didn't think he would go this far", _hethought.

"I knew that little manipulator was hiding something from me."

She truly believed that he was pretending to not know a thing and wanted to hear her version of the events. "_House, what __do__ you want to know?" _she thought. He kept staring, knowing that she wouldn't believe anything he said. While looking intently at her face, he noticed something strange in her eyes, something that he couldn't describe at that moment. "_Cuddy, what are you hiding from me?"_

"Great, he didn't tell you anything! Now I have to explain everything again from the beginning." She cried in annoyance. "So …my house is being fumigated for termites so I asked Wilson if I could stay with you both. He simply preferred to give me your apartment keys."

"_Cuddy stays in my apartment, without my knowledge, and in alliance with my best friend. It's strange that she asked him and not me. Why isn't she with her boyfriend?_ _Better investigate", _he thought.

"But….What are you doing, here?" she asked one more time knowing that what he was looking forward was playing a game, their own special game.

"Someone who you know very well triggered the fire alarm system in our loft and got our new TV wet. Another person that you know for sure, removed the cable TV in coma patient's room. However, my soap opera begins in a matter of minutes and I need my TV."

"_You came here just to watch your soap?" _she thought.

"Good! Watch your soap… I'm taking Rachel to the other room so you can watch whatever you want on this thing you call a couch", she snapped angrily. She wasn't really in the mood.

She took the little girl in her arms and walked towards the bedroom - the bedroom of the man that lately she had considered as just an employee and not a friend. She put Rachel down on the bed; she was already asleep. Cuddy went back into the kitchen to eat her now-cold pizza. House was still in the living room, eyes fixed on the screen in front of him, but she could see that his mind was far away in his own world.

_She's being weird. Hypothesis: Problems in the hospital? Usually I'm the reason for hospital-related problems but I did solved my case and also my clinic hours. Well, Thirteen did them for me, but still they were done. Problems with Rachel? No, she looked so calm, that can't be the reason. Menopause? No, I have to wait few more years for that joy. The termites? No, she would never get mad over a house. Her boyfriend? Well, he owns an apartment, why didn't she go to stay with him? Looks like I just found her weak point. New goal: make her nervous and tell me everything I want to know._

"Hey! Leave me a slice of pizza", he yelled.

"Stop shouting, Rachel is already asleep and I don't want you to wake her up."

He was being so annoying and all she wanted was to be alone. _She's annoyed! Step one…done, _he thought.

"You can have it all, I'm not hungry anymore."

From the kitchen, she quickly went into the living room and thumped the pizza box onto the small table between them. As soon as she turned around and started walking towards the bedroom, House spoke.

"Where are you going Cuddles? ...why aren't you at your boyfriend's?" He always saw everything and this bothered her because she couldn't keep secrets: she was like an open book to him.

"His name is Lucas. However, Lucas," she said, emphasizing the name, "is working. But…Wilson didn't say anything to you, did he?"

"Nothing. Otherwise I 'd have gotten here when you were in the shower", he grinned.

She wanted to smile at his answer, but she was so tired and instead chose not to say anything. He noticed her attempt to a smile, and grinned again. He still wanted to continue their game/bantering even if they were both tired from the busy day at work and from all the worries.

"You would have had a heart attack: you're not young any more. Now you've reached a certain age..." she smiled.

"Sure, sure... I'm not the one that is close to menopause." he joked, receiving a yawn in reply.

"I'm going to bed. 'Night House! Don't you dare get strange ideas and follow me. Try not to make too much mess and keep the volume low. I can sleep through anything but Rachel won't."

"Don't worry! And don't have erotic dreams about me, what would your boyfriend think?" he launched his latest attack with an evil grin on his face. She was already in the bedroom but smiled. He knew that she would respond to his last words, so he waited for her answer or for just another sigh of disapproval.

"He'd think that I felt sick and that the fever brought me to have hallucinations of some sick...", she said before stopping abruptly.

The words escaped her lips before she could stop herself and she realized that maybe she had gone too far. Without paying attention she brought up his problems: going through Mayfield, the Vicodin detox, the hallucinations. Those words kept floating in his mind, making him absorb every possible hidden meaning.

She ran quickly into the living room and saw him still sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the screen in front of him as if he had heard nothing. But he had heard, she was sure of that.

"Sorry, I didn't meant it!" she cried.

When Cuddy received no response, she knew it was too late. She said something that she shouldn't have.

* * *

Read, review, make me happy and maybe I'll give you a cookie. *-*

- Sissi and Gì


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there, yeah, I've been away for a while. Sorry for not updating sooner but life's been a mess. :)

Feed the review monster on your way out or he'll come to get ya! *evil chuckle*

* * *

**:::::Fighting in a flat::::**

** Chapter 3**

Silence filled the room, the dark and gloomy atmosphere making her shiver. She could hear the soft whispers of the actors on the TV which was still providing illumination, the audio becoming the soundtrack of a sad situation. She wished she had never said those words, never reminded him what he'd been through in the last year: the hallucinations, the Vicodin addiction, Mayfield. He'd been through a lot and she hadn't helped him, mostly because he didn't want to be rescued from himself, but that time she had decided not to be her stubborn self and help him no matter what he said. She just backed off and, while he was away, tried to create a new life for Rachel and herself. She could feel his presence on the couch, his form still and rigid in a sitting position, his eyes fixed on the TV in front of him. Hers, on the other hand were on him.

"House, I'm sorry. I didn't meant to..." she said, softly.

"Back off Cuddy...", he calmly said in a low whisper which made her shiver. A few tears fell from her eyes to her cheeks.

His words were like a dagger driven into her chest. She took a step back and kept staring at him, speechless. When he didn't move, she turned on her heel and fled to the bedroom, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. She was feeling ashamed of her words. She had hurt him with a single sentence. Maybe he was over-reacting, or perhaps she was the one over-reacting. She slumped against the door and let herself fall slowly to the ground. She sat there for a while, still hearing the voices coming from the TV in the other room. After a while she stood up and took off the robe, moving to the bed to watch Rachel's chest rise and fall slowly in her sleep. She smiled at the child in front of her but a pang of guilt hit her square in the chest again. She lay down on the bed, covering her trembling body with his sheets and cried herself to sleep.

House's stare was still directed at the TV a few metres away. Her words were running wild in his brain, like a runaway train. His mind was over-analyzing everything she'd said, not realizing she meant them as an innocent joke, like the ones they used to say in their own little game.

Checkmate.

He felt hurt deep inside. She had found his weak point and pricked him with a hundred pins, sticking them in one at a time. With just a single joke, he'd been hurt by the woman he once loved and couldn't help but think he had to hurt her in return. He remembered their conversation right before he realized he'd been hallucinating: he had done plenty of lousy things to her before. Now, she said something she didn't even meant to be interpreted in that way. He thought it wasn't her fault, but his; he was the one who had let the defense walls go down. He imagined her on his bed, crying herself to sleep, while her sense of guilt ate her from the inside.

He kept staring at the screen, oblivious to the pointless argument being carried out by the actors, his mind busy with those thoughts and his body aching, trying with all his strength not to go into that room and hold her in his arms. He didn't know why he felt this way: he was hurt, mad at her, but on the other hand he wanted to be the man who held her at night, while sleeping close to her in their bed. He smirked at his own cheesiness and turned the TV off. Once more, silence surrounded him. No sounds were coming from the bedroom, making him think she was already asleep and perfectly fine, at least till the moment she wakes up.

She had never thought she would sleep in his bed and it felt a little bit weird to lay there alone without a man by her side, holding her close and nuzzling his nose on her neck. She felt everything was weird, but at the same time she felt protected. By what, or whom, she didn't know. Maybe it was his presence in the living room, or the light blue sheets tangled around her legs, or maybe the fact that Rachel was fast asleep next to her. Her mind started to reel around her actions and his reactions. She couldn't help but think it was all her fault, and the tough monster of her guilt stormed into her chest and roared like a fearsome beast.

Her mind came to a rest when she smelled something. A faint but unmistakable essence: his. She rubbed her nose on the sheets and took a deep breath, inhaling the manly scent of his shower gel and cologne. In the end, he wasn't that bad a man: she loved his great sense of humor even when it was dark and knew it could turn into an insult directed at her personally. When she needed someone, he mysteriously was there either to hold her hand or give her advice. Those times, she could swear she saw something in his eyes, something that she still couldn't describe with words. She considered him a friend. But, did he think of her as a friend?

He was still sitting on the couch, his eyes fixed on the black screen, trying to focus on something that wasn't the pain in his leg and the heavy sensation of something pressing on his chest. He turned his head around, looking somewhere in the dark, but his eyes stopped on the bedroom door. After shaking his head slightly, he stood up and walked towards the piano. His baby grand was covered with a thin layer of gray dust. He laid a hand on the cold surface and, after wiping away a streak of dust, sat on the bench. He stared at the black and white keys for a while, not daring to press a single one of them, fearing that the baby girl in the bedroom would wake up. The piano was one of the few things he missed in the new loft: he missed playing some of the songs he had written and knew by heart. He resisted the urge to play her serenade another time, to make himself look ridiculous knowing what the reaction of the woman in the other room would be.

In the bedroom Cuddy couldn't lay down any more. She knew for sure he was still in the house, even if there were no sounds at all. She just knew that by heart. She got up from the bed, untangling her body from the sheets, finding it hard to actually lose the grip on the soft cotton. She felt her body shiver slightly when the cold air in the room hit her skin, causing goosebumps to appear on her arms and legs. She took a step forward, and stopped before allowing herself to take one more. She felt her legs trembling, unable to walk any furhter. She felt worn out and the stress of the day was making her sleepy again. She leaned against the door one more time, before deciding that talking to him wasn't the right choice. She should wait a little longer, let him cool off a little, and chose another moment to apologize. Without realizing, she found herself in his bed, covered from head to toe with the light blue sheets; once again she felt protected, like there were arms holding her close to someone's chest. With that image in her mind, she drifted off back to sleep.

Another hour passed and House was still sitting on the piano bench. His hands were on the keys, unable to move. He was frozen there, trying to fight the instinct to play those notes. He closed his eyes again and, when he finally reopened them, he pressed his fingers onto the keys. His skillful hands were moving, now slowly and now fast, in an increasing melody. He played every single note, from the first till the last one, not making a single mistake. He played that melody again, letting his mind run wild in his memories: some were good, some bad; some better than others, some worse than any other thing in the world. Everything was calm, no sounds were heard in the entire block, just her serenade. The notes danced slowly in the air, suspended in a light cloud of thoughts, dreams, ideas and memory. He was playing just for her and she didn't even know. He stopped abruptly, holding his fingers in the air for a while before placing them gently in his lap. He shook his head and stood up, walking towards the couch. He grabbed his jacket and threw it over one shoulder before heading to the door. He paused, resting his free hand on the door handle. He sighed, then slowly took few steps back and walked towards the bedroom. He stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath.

When he opened the door he spotted Rachel on one side of the bed, stretching her little legs under the covers, while holding the sheets in her fists. On the other side Cuddy was curled up in a ball. Her curly hair formed a soft frame around her head, her eyes moving slowly under the eyelids. He could see the stains the tears had left on her soft skin. Her mouth was slightly open and her lips were red and full. House tightened his grip on his jacket before pulling away from the room, closing the door and leaning against the wall for a while. He was terribly sorry for everything he had put her through, he was sorry she hadn't been able to hear her melody being played that night. But mostly he was angry with himself for letting her run away from him. She was his ray of sunshine, and it was difficult to see her smiling, but when she did, it was mostly because of him.

It was very late and Wilson was probably wondering where he had been all that time. He got closer to the glass table in the center of the room, took a slice of the now cold pizza and without even thinking about what he was doing, he left a simple note. He then opened the door, stepped outside and closed it behind him. He frowned when the cold night air hit him in the face but, deep inside, he was smiling.

* * *

07:00 AM

Like every single morning, Lisa Cuddy's internal clock woke her up, like the most perfect Swiss clock. When she opened her eyes, she stared at the ceiling a little while, just just long enough for her to realize that she wasn't in her own house. Looking intently at the walls around her, she turned around to see Rachel gurgling happily at the sight of her mother. She smiled at the child and, after cuddling with her for a bit, Rachel drifted off into a peaceful nap. Cuddy got up and lazily tried to find her flip flops she was sure she had put somewhere. Checking that Rachel was still asleep, she went into the bathroom, and after showering, she got ready for work. She exited the bathroom, walked down the hallway and stepped in the living room. House was gone, there was no sign of his presence and Cuddy wondered if what had happened the previous night was just a nightmare. The light from the sun was coming in from the slightly open curtains, illuminating the surface of the black piano. She noticed the missing slice of pizza and smiled to herself for a while, before spotting the note he left. She slowly opened it, fearing that what was written on it might bring a new wave of tears.

"The last slice of pizza is for you, don't want your world renowned-ass to disappear, now that everyone is starting to think you're not a man. Thanks for letting me stay even if this is MY house. I'll see you tonight. Cook something good, or at least edible. I'll bring the booze. H."

She read the message over and over again before allowing herself to smile. Someone knocked on the door, waking her from her daydream and, after stuffing the note into her jacket, she walked to the door and opened it revealing the baby-sitter and, after greeting the woman, she let her in. While the sitter checked on Rachel, Cuddy brewed some coffee, before drinking two big gulps of it. When Marina walked into the kitchen carrying Rachel, she gave her daughter a kiss, earning a series of giggles from the toddler. Taking her bag with her, she exited the apartment with a smile on her face, apparently happy.

* * *

Chapter 4 is already done and I'm currently working on the 5th. Keep reviewing and if I get enough love I'll update in before monday. AAGHSGAHAHJASASHSGAHGJAHGASGJ. BOMBSHELL. This episode is so gonna ill me in the end!

And while I'm gone, remember to **_forget your trouble and get happy, you better chase all your cares away..._**

**R&R**

Sissi & Gì


	4. Chapter 4

**I promised you that I'd have updated before Monday if I had received enough love from all of you, but major forces didn't allow me... yeah, I'm talking about Bombshells. We were expecting such a great episode and then, in the end... nothing was huddy and everything hurt. *sighs* Thank you so much for all your reviews and comment on twitter. I usually get 10 review a chapter but this time I got 14 which IMHO is a great improvement! Thank you so much!**

**I forgot to thank my beta in chapter 3 :( but hey, she knows I love her so much! Thanks Sam :)**

**As always, the Review Monster is craving for constructive reviews covered with dark chocolate... *nom nom nom***

* * *

**::::Fighting in a Flat::::**

**Chapter 4**

Lisa Cuddy was never late. The world would come to an end if she was, for just one day, late. She'd get cranky and her stress level would skyrocket in seconds. She felt like everything depended on her actions. While driving to work, she made a mental decision that after she'd finished the extremely huge amount of paperwork she'd left unfinished yesterday, she would go see Wilson and ask him for what stupid reason he hadn't told House about her moving into his apartment.

Right as the clock ticked over to 8:00 am she stepped into the hallway, dressed in her chic clothes and high heels and, in her extremely bossy mode, she greeted the staff and patients who were starting to fill the clinic. She stopped for a few minutes at the Nurses' Station where she took the notes the staff had left during her absence, then made her way through the clinic, stepping around nurses, doctors and patients, greeting them with her usual succinct kindness.

When she opened the door she couldn't help but stiffen on seeing Wilson sitting on her couch, staring at a non-existent point in front of him. Cuddy walked over to her desk, sat behind it and cleared her throat to get his attention. He stood up abruptly and walked towards her until his legs hit the desk.

"Wilson, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"What did happen last night? What have you done?" he half yelled, turning a deep shade of red.

"What the hell are you talking about, Wilson?"

"What did you do? And by YOU I mean you and House!" he explained.

She straightened up a little but kept staring at the Oncologist. He looked completely stunned, scandalized and confused… all at the same time. Cuddy found herself becoming more and more puzzled.

"What did he tell you?" she asked.

"Cuddy, you're not fooling me. You and House were together last night. What happened between the two of you?" he asked once again, raising both his eyebrows. Cuddy suppressed a giggle. He looked so cute, getting all bothered and nervous about the possibility of his two best friends finally getting at it.

"Why do you think he was with me? Are you sure House wasn't at the pub getting wasted?" she hedged.

"Come on Cuddy… House left soon after dinner and didn't come home this morning, and the other copy of his apartment keys are missing. I don't know why but… actually I do know why…" he stopped, then started talking again, "He went to his old apartment and found you and I have this very bad feeling you guys did something… he spent the night there, didn't he? Just tell me Cuddy!" he half yelled desperately.

Cuddy suppressed another giggle, coughed and turned serious once again. "Why didn't you tell him about me moving into his old place?"

Wilson froze.

"I didn't have the opportunity to…" he mumbled.

"Wilson!" she exclaimed.

"I thought that if he knew he'd probably have come up with some banal excuse to go to his old apartment to see you. He'd have gone through your stuff, putting his nose in as many things as he could. He'd have asked you lots of questions about you being there and not… not with Lucas…" he explained, "That's why I thought it would have been better to keep my mouth shut."

Cuddy was patiently listening to the Oncologist without interrupting him. He surely had a point, she thought, but kept her expression serious until Wilson spoke up again.

"So, what did happen?"

Cuddy cleared her throat before speaking the truth. "He was with me." Wilson nearly choked as he spluttered at her response.

"He came to his apartment and spent the night there. Obviously I was there too and…". She stopped, feeling the accusing stare of the man in front of her. She swallowed and opened her mouth again, "…nothing happened" she stated. Wilson kept looking at her with a curious smirk.

"I'm sure something took place there. When you two are in the same room something necessarily has to happen." he declared.

"Nothing happened Wilson…"

"So… he was there, and you were there too, but nothing happened between the two of you. That's what you're telling me, right?" he asked.

"Yes, Wilson, that's what I'm saying", she nodded.

"And what did he do?". Cuddy sat on her chair and looked up at him.

"Nothing interesting. He sat on the couch and watched his soap opera. He then fell asleep and nothing else… at least that's what I think he did.". Wilson shook his head.

"You think? Where were you?" he asked, pointing a finger at her.

"I was in the bedroom… sleeping"

Wilson nodded this time, seeming truly satisfied with the information she had just given him. He turned but stopped on the track. "Did you talked about anything at all?"

"And what would we talk about? I told him about my house being sprayed for termites but nothing more" she replied.

He nodded again, and this time he turned back to the door and walked out into the clinic with a worried face. She watched him leaving, following him with her eyes until he disappeared around the corner. She sighed and turned her attention towards the paperwork on her desk.

. . . . .

No one could believe what was happening right in front of their eyes: Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine and Chief Administrator, was riding a black and orange Honda motorbike. She dismounted the bike with an athletic move, took the helmet off and hooked it on the side mirror. She was wearing an oversized pair of sunglasses over her deep blue-ish eyes. Cuddy was walking down the hall to her office when a male voice got her attention. One of the security guys was running towards her, asking politely to park the bike in her own parking space, but she ignored him completely because another voice was calling her. She smiled mischievously at the man leaning against the Nurses' Station. She over to him, swinging her hips nonchalantly. He smiled back before opening his mouth to speak.

"Good morning, Dr Cuddy. So, what do you think of my bitchin' new bike?" he asked.

"Very fast… kinda hot too. Thanks for letting me take a ride on it. I think you deserve something in return, Dr House."

She took off her sunglasses and he could finally stare at her mesmerizing blue eyes. She smiled naughtily and, lifting herself on her tiptoes, she leaned in to meet him in a very passionate kiss. House kissed her back and slid his hands down her back. Before he could go any further…

"House…"

"Mmmmmh…" he mumbled.

"House…"

"Mmmmmh…"

"House!"

"What's the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled.

The Diagnostician opened his eyes and immediately regretted it when he made eye-contact with his friend. Maybe he'd been so caught up in his dream that he hadn't realized he was moaning ever so slightly: kissing your boss senseless and feeling her ass up isn't something that happens every day… well, in his dreams it happens most of the times but still it was great. Wilson was in front of him, watching his best friend with a smirk on his face and his arms crossed on his chest. House glanced at the clock and saw it was only 9 in the morning.

"What's wrong Wilson?" he asked.

"You didn't come home last night." he stated.

"Wow, has anybody ever told you how clever you are? Must be those eyebrows of yours…" House replied sarcastically.

"May I know where the hell have you been all this time?"

"I went to my old apartment. You'd be surprised by the things I found there. Oh , wait, you already knew…right. You're the one who gave Cuddy the keys." he snapped.

Wilson just nodded.

"I need a coffee. Give me $10." Wilson shook his head but took his wallet from his pocket and gave his friend the money. House stood up and started walking down the hall, closely followed by the Oncologist.

"You're not asking me why I didn't tell you anything about Cuddy?" Wilson asked tersely as they reached the elevator.

"It's on my to-do list…" House said, pushing the button.

"And…"

"And right now, I don't want to know. I have other things to do first." he answered.

"Something better than humiliating me?", Wilson asked incredulously.

"Yup. Did you actually think I wouldn't plot my revenge on you? Seriously Wilson, I thought you knew me so well…."

"Oh…" was all Wilson managed to say.

House chuckled and grinned even more before stepping in the lift.

They entered the cafeteria and, after House bought a steaming cup of coffee for himself, and sat at a table on the right where House could watch everyone who was coming in without them noticing. Wilson sat in front of him, thinking about that awful conversation they had shared few months before.

_[Flashback]_  
_House stepped into the Oncologist's office, opening the door without bothering to knock. He had a coffee cup. Actually, it was Cuddy's cup. Wilson finally dared to ask his friend if he wanted to be the man with the answers or the man with Cuddy. House surprised him when he took a step back and dropped the coffee cup in the trash can. Wilson suppressed a smile and went back to focus on his patient files._  
_[End Flashback]_

"So… you did talk to Cuddy, didn't you?", House asked.

"Yes…"

"And I presume she hid the real reason she was in my apartment and not at Lucas'…"

"Ehm… yes." Wilson hesitated.

"Ehm… yes? What the hell does that mean?" he snorted.

"Ehm, nothing."

"You're being way too fast with your answers and you keep adding 'ehm' to every single thing you say. Either you're horny, high, you're hiding something, or you're lying, which makes me think you're lying to me because you're hiding something from your best buddy." House concluded.

"She didn't tell me anything, but I do have few ideas…"

"Ideas that I don't want you to share with me…" the Diagnostician added.

"Really?"

"Yes… it's part of my plan: stop listening to Wilson whining about everything related to my love/sex life."

"Your plan? Would you mind telling me what you're talking about?" Wilson asked quizzically.

"I'm not telling you. You can't even keep it in your pants long enough… I won't tell you anything about what I've planned."

"House, I…"

"Nope."

"Okay. I have a feeling though, and it's not a good one." he admitted fearfully.

"I can assure you it will be as you'd expect from me" House promised with a smirk.

He stood up from the table, taking the cup of coffee with him, leaving Wilson alone. On his way out he came face-to-face with Cuddy.

"Good morning Dr Cuddy, sleep well last night?", he half yelled.

"House, I don't think this is the right place to discuss this" she explained slowly.

"Oh come on. I think it's a good thing for the whole hospital to know that… Dr Cuddy slept in my bed last night!" he yelled. Everyone turned around to face the couple. Cuddy blushed slightly and slapped him in the arm.

"Ow."

"House! I didn't sleep with you last night! And anyway, after your last declaration no one is going to believe you." she replied. Hearing their boss' voice the crowd, who was still listening to their conversation, turned around and went back to their breakfast.

"Ohhhhh, you're spoiling all the fun. Now I have to move on to Plan B." he said mischievously.

"Plan B? What's that?", she asked truly fascinated.

"I'm plotting against Wilson. Nothing to worry about." he said indifferently, earning a smirk from the woman. "Anyway… did you find me a case, she-devil?"

Cuddy nodded. "Your team already has the chart. Everything you need is already in your office waiting for you."

"Hookers too?" he asked. Cuddy laughed and shook her head. She kept staring at him as he limped out of the cafeteria.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly, and she couldn't suppress a smile.

* * *

**Next chapter is HUDDY ALL THE WAY! Hopefully it'll be up in... 2 weeks? uh, sorry... school is stressing me more than usual :( **

**Share your thoughts with me and Gì :) We luvs u :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Fighting in a flat**

Hi guys, sorry for not updating sooner. This is unbeta-ed so all mistakes are mine. **Check out my new story "One and Only" :) **Read and review please, I need to know if you're still interested in this story :)

* * *

** Chapter 5**

What a day! She thought while getting of the car as fast as she could. She run up the three steps and opened the door to his apartment. The baby sitter was there, sitting on the couch, arms crossed on her chest and a disappointed look on her face.

"Good evening, Dr Cuddy." she greeted her without her usual kindness.

"Hi, I'm late, I know. And I'm terribly sorry but there's been a problem at the hospital and…. Oh my… is it that late?" Cuddy found herself staring at the clock on House's desk, both surprised and disappointed she was that late.

"I knew you'd be late but you promised you'd do anything to come back in time today. My daughter's recital starts in half an hour and I have to drive to the other side of the town in less than 10 minutes, pick her up and take her there…". Marina smiled a sympathetic smile and grabbed her coat from behind the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rachel's already asleep in the bedroom." the nanny informed Cuddy, this time relieved that the woman came home.

"Thank you so much Marina, I'm so sorry. Good luck to Annie, she'll surely be great on stage!"

After Marina closed the door behind her, Cuddy took a deep breath and sat on the couch without her usual female grace. She sighed loudly, leaned her legs up on the armrest and closed her eyes. After a while she reopened them and massaged her temples. She was feeling beyond tired and her legs might gave up on her if she decided to leave the sofa.

She sighed again and gathered all her strength together to stand up and walk towards the bedroom where her daughter was supposedly asleep. When she stepped in, Cuddy couldn't hide the smile that immediately came to her lips: Rachel was curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed. She was completely tangled in the sheets and her little hands were around her head, playing with her hair and her eyelashes. Cuddy thought she looked like a little angel and smiled again at the beautiful sight. When her stomach grumbled, she half shut the door and went back into the kitchen.

* * *

House made his way towards his apartment's door twirling the keys in his hands but he suddenly grinned and put the keys back into his backpack.

"So, what's for dinner?" he yelled startling her. She jumped lightly from her seat on the couch and turned around just in time to see his toned back while he put his bag on the piano. It felt so weird to be there with him, to sit on the couch in his house waiting for him to show up. They were like an old married couple sometimes. That thought made her shiver a little but felt so good.

"I've already had dinner." she answered before taking a bite of the apple she was holding in her right hand. He stared at her half shocked trying his best to hold that smart-ass remark he was about to say.

"An apple? Seriously Cuddy... I knew you were into that rabbit food diet but that apple can't be your dinner. What will your supertanker say? I don't want it to feel unloved."

"Stop being an ass. I'm not hungry right now and I have work to do. So... sit there and let me do my job."

"So demanding tonight..." She rolled her eyes and sighed before lowering her eyes to the computer on her lap. House listened to her and sat on the the far corner of the couch and turned the TV on before sitting his feet on the table in front of him, grunting.

"And shut up." she ordered. She was being extremely snappy tonight, probably all the nervousness caused by his presence.

"I'll shut up after cooking you dinner." he turned the TV off and walked towards the kitchen without his cane. "House, I told you I've already eaten." she yelled from the living room but she could already hear the sound of House's steps and the pot being put on the cooker.

"Yeah, and I don't believe it. I went crazy not idiot." he snapped with a grin.

"Since you're such an intelligent human being why don't you understand that I don't really want to be disturbed?"

"Of course I understood what you said but I don't want you to starve to death. Like I've already said how could you keep the twins and ass like that if you don't eat?" He said leaning on the kitchen door frame and pointing to her body while smirking and moving his eyebrows up and down.

"Do me a favor and stop worrying about my assets. You better start worrying about your ass or I'll fire it for good" she replied with a wicked smile.

"Aww, where's the nice Cuddy who loved to cuddle with her little cutie pie?" he said mocking her.

"You keep saying you're not stupid but you still don't understand. I have to finish this report and I'm tired. Watch your soap and don't disturb me."

"Okay but if you get hungry later don't you dare come to me for food... or sex" he yelled hiding a devilish grin. He was going to cook dinner for the both of them, something she'd enjoy for sure, but what? He tried to remember all the recipes he had learned from Wilson's cooking classes. His brain was analyzing every possible recipe she could like, scanning this sort of mental archive when he found the right one. He turned around and was about to tell her something but ended up hitting his head against the cupboard. He swore loudly and he could hear her laughing.

"Stop laughing!"

"I'll stop laughing when you'll stop swearing like an old sailor."

He turned around mindless of the cupboard's leaf being still open and ended up hurting his head once again. He suppressed another swearing fit and put all of his attention on the task at hand. After few minutes the air was filled with a spicy smell that made Cuddy's stomach growl in anticipation.

* * *

Almost an hour later House made his way into the living room holding to plates of gnocchi alla romana, an Italian recipe for gnocchi with semolina and lots of Parmesan cheese. He sat the two plates on the coffee table where he had previously put two glasses and a bottle of wine.

"You didn't have to do all of this. I told you I wasn't that hungry." She could smell the intense aroma of the Parmesan and her mouth watered while her stomach growled once again.

"Yeah, right... You're not hungry. You were just starving, weren't you?"

"Maybe a little." she said with a small smile. She took the plate and started to move the forks towards it but stopped when she saw House staring at her leaving his plate on the table. "What? Is it poisoned?"

House nodded with a smile making her frown. "What did you put in it? Laxative?"

"Nah, I'm not that subtle."

"You did the same to Wilson if I recall correctly." she replied with a grin.

"You should know I never do the same prank two times." House said winking at her mischievously. "It's gnocchi alla romana." he informed her while taking a forkful from the plate on his lap.

"When did you start cooking? I mean, I've always thought you live through take-out and the hospital canteen."

"I needed something to distract me after Mayfield." he stated glancing up at her.

"I see... but why did you decide on taking cooking classes? I mean, you could... I don't know... uhm..." she started saying but stopped when she realized that nothing else was worthy enough for him; he was always looking for something that could catch his interest and in which he could find some strange puzzle needed to be solved.

"Wilson..." was his answer.

"Wilson? What's with him?" she asked quizzically.

"Our wonder boy of Oncology dragged me with him once, I promised to myself I wouldn't get into this but when I got into the kitchen I suddenly forgot about what I had been through in the previous months. It wasn't as interesting as medicine but it was worth a try... but when I got better than Wilson he started being mad at me and didn't want me to embarrass him. He threatened me with a frying pan!" he concluded with a laugh. Cuddy was completely engrossed in the conversation. We're having a normal conversation, she thought. Surprising was the development of their relationship. After Mayfield there was an awkward feeling every time they met at the hospital but now, she lived in his apartment and for the time being they were roommates and that night things were going extremely good.

"Why are you suddenly so willing to tell me all those things?" House stared at her confused. "Well, you asked those questions and I answered... isn't this what everyone does while having a conversation with a friend?"

Cuddy stiffened a little. Of course they were friends, she had always considered him such but hearing him saying those words was making her loss for words. Cuddy took another forkful of the gnocchi and looked up to him locking his eyes with hers. "Before Mayfield you wouldn't have answered. You'd have deflected and..."

"I've already told you. I have changed but you seem not to believe a word I say " he cut her off. She froze., feeling something deep inside of her, something that made her realize what a bad friend she had been to him lately. She had left him alone, once again, thinking that he was still the miserable pain in the ass he had met in Michigan but only now she saw the changes he had been through. The changes he was willing to commit to get better and have a chance at happiness. She looked down to the plate on her knees and sighed softly before opening her mouth to speak.

"You know when you want something so much and after so many obstacles you finally get it, it's so overwhelming that you're sure it's not true... well, that's how I feel right now..." she admitted. House was shocked and the only thing he could do was stare at her. He admired the soft brown curls that fell onto her shoulders, her long dark eyelashes fluttering slowly, her blue-green eyes examining him. She was so beautiful without make-up and she could have been his if he only was willing to start the game.

"Before Mayfield, you would have never said those words too..." he said shaking his head lightly.

"Yeah... I guess I shouldn't have said that... I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize..."

"See? This is something the old House would have never said. I don't understand if what you're telling me it's true, that you really have changed or if this is just my brain paying with me or if you're the one playing with me and my feelings." she shook his head. "I'm so confused"

"I don't know what else to do Cuddy. For the past few months I've tried my best to show you how much I had changed and all I get in the return is indifference."

"Do I really look indifferent to you?" she asked on the verge of tears. She tried to stop her eyes from tearing up but two little droplets escaped from her closed eyes, falling down her cheeks to her chin.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you in the past." he admitted.

"Why are you saying this now? Why after all this time? Why couldn't you apologize before? It's over now House. I don't want to think about the past and all the things that we had been through... We're living two separate lives and it's good this way." she said, trying to convince herself more than the man in front of her.

"Okay. If that's what you want I'll stop right now." House started eating again while _that_ feeling he still wasn't able to describe came back full force and hit his chest like a hummer.

"We'd suffer and it's not worth it. Let's get back at what we used to be, let's pretend this has never happened." Cuddy mimicked him and started eating from her plate. Those gnocchi tasted amazing and the bitter taste of them was filling her mouth, as if the truth and the sincerity of their conversation was imprisoned in the food.

And if that wasn't what he truly wanted? His thoughts immediately left his mouth like an arrow.

"What if this I not what I want? What if I want to clarify this 'us'?" She nearly choked when she heard his words. Cuddy slowly placed the plate on the coffee table. They both looked so confused while trying to understand how that conversation would end. He remember what she had told him the year before _"everybody knows this is going somewhere...". _All he wanted was reach that somewhere and stay there, try to get a better view of life and take a shot at happiness.

"You told me everyone knew this was going somewhere..." he whispered.

"Yeah, but it looks like everyone knows but us." she chuckled. "We've never understood what's going on between us, if there was an 'us' at all. You're the only person in this world that confuses me."

"Is this a good thing?"

"It's been more than twenty years and I still haven't figure it out." they both laughed sadly. "And now? What do we have? Nothing..."

"So, what you want is the bantering, the bickering, the stares. That's all?" he asked smirking.

"I don't know what I want because I don't know what you want. If I want something you don't, one of us will get hurt. I'll get hurt."

"What tells you you'll suffer? Things can change."

"House, it has always been like this. We're opposite to each other and I can't let myself want more from this. I'm scared."

"We'll never know till we try..." he whispered. "I'm here and I'm a different person in some way... it's up to you...". They didn't realize they were so close to each other, they had tried to keep the distance intact but their conversations and their feelings led them to move closer. Suddenly Rachel started crying making her mother jump. The baby interrupted that conversation and Cuddy had never been so relieved. She didn't know what to answer to his statement, she didn't know what she really wanted for her life and for Rachel's. Her baby, she had to think about her now. She stood up and glanced at House one more time, staring at his deep blue eyes apologizing for the inconvenience. She immediately run to the bedroom to soothe her crying daughter.

Meanwhile House sat on his couch, staring at the blank screen of the TV. He was trying to put the pieces of his life back together and the last little piece was love. He found it in her but now it was hard to obtain it.

* * *

**Read and Review.** For any info, comment or whatever you want/need you can find me and Gì on twitter (_SissiCuddles and Samisa2_)


	6. Chapter 6

**Fighting in a flat**

W00T! I'm giving you another update, how cool is that? Okay, I'll shut up now. This one is still unbeta-ed, so every mistake (I'm sure there are some) is mine! Thanks for all the feedback, I really appreciate it. Read and Review :)

P.S.: It's kinda short, sorry. But On the other end I managed to translate 2 other chapters today, so wait for more action :)

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_Cuddy won't give me another chance. This time I won't go away_, he thought. A grimace of sorrow marked his face as Cuddy walked down the hallway headed to the bedroom where the crying baby was waiting to be soothed by her mother.

She quickly entered the bedroom to calm Rachel down and to try to find a way to escape from that awkward conversation she was having with House. As soon as she entered, she closed the door behind her back and scooped the toddler up whispering softly in her ear. Rachel immediately quieted down when her mother's arms began to rock her absentmindedly. Cuddy walked back and forth in that small room and nervously cradled the baby, who seemed not to be bothered by the situation, but most of all by her mother's thoughts.

Cuddy couldn't believe what just happened, all the things they had said to each other were so true that it hurt her so much. She couldn't really had said all those things. And House... how was he feeling now? What was he thinking about?

She was crying: slowly a new wave of tears run down her cheeks and wet the shirt she was wearing. _I'm still in love_, she thought. She was still in love with him: she gave him her heart a long time ago and when she thought she could finally move on with her life, he was able to reopen that not so small part of her heart in which her unconditional love for him rested. She had tried to seal that part, pretending that she didn't have feelings for him, but all her actions and words were pointless. She was nothing without him.

The woman looked down at the now sleeping baby in her arms and sighed in relief, she couldn't bear a crying baby tonight.

Cuddy laid the kid on the bed and tucked her in paying attention to put pillows all around her making it impossible for the kid to fall from the bed, her crib being at her place. She sat next to her daughter and smiled at the cuteness of her little face with those red lips and those long black eyelashes. She placed a kiss on her chummy cheek and tried to compose herself. She took a glimpse of her face in the mirror and sighed but immediately replace the frown with a small, shy smile.

She opened the door and wasn't surprised to found that the lights were off but she could feel his presence, few seconds later she spotted him on the couch. Her heart skipped a beat: he didn't leave this time. Her smile grew bigger when she noticed that the TV was on and broadcasting his soap opera. The apartment was so dark, the only illumination provided by the lights coming from the television. Upon hearing her steps, House glanced at her and smiled softly.

"Rachel's asleep and I have to finish that report." she informed him tiredly. She sat on the couch next to him and started to read the files when House leaned down and turned on the lamp so that she could read properly. " Don't want you to get blind or something..." She smiled and thanked him before starting to work again even if it was the last thing she wanted to do. After a couple minutes she looked up at the screen and frowned.

"Do you think the twins will confess poisoning the Dean?" she asked. House stared at her, more shocked than surprised but in the end he smiled. Cuddy kept watching the screen, avoiding his eyes but she couldn't resist long enough and her blue-grey eyes met his and she was captured by that look of him. She smiled.

"Well, I read somewhere they'll first read the will then..." House kept talking, thankful that everything seemed to be back to normal.

* * *

**Read and review, pretty pleeeease ****


	7. Chapter 7

**Fighting In A Flat **

Since I'm on holiday and my mother decided I'll be stuck home the whole summer, I have plenty of time to translate and write. I'll update daily since there are not so many chapters left, maybe I'll write a sequel :)

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Cuddy was abruptly awoken by a crying Rachel. She rose up from the couch, throwing the small blanket off of her body and run towards the bedroom to retrieve her daughter. She smiled at the little girl and took her in the kitchen with her. After making sure she wouldn't get hurt nor fall from the highchair, Cuddy started to get the kid's breakfast ready but her mind was elsewhere.

The previous night she had fallen asleep while finishing a report. No, she recalled finishing that document, putting it into her bag and sitting down the couch next to... House. Cuddy smiled. When did I fell asleep? When did I cover myself with that blanket? She wondered, but her thoughts were immediately stopped by the doorbell.

Running towards the door Cuddy took a glimpse of the clock and immediately knew that she was going to arrive late at work. At least the baby sitter would have helped here with Rachel while she got ready.

"I'm coming!" she said. When she opened the door, there wasn't the baby sitter, but Wilson. Cuddy sighed and let him in, greeting him good morning.

"Good morning, Lisa. Is House here with you?" he asked. Lisa immediately shook her head. _Maybe House spent the night here and left before I woke up. Wilson is probably concerned about his friend_, she thought.

"Really?" he asked.

"He's not here, Wilson." The Oncologist frowned, sensing that she was keeping something from him.

"But he did spend the night here, didn't he?"

"I think so..." she answered, not sure if that was the truth or not.

"You 'think' so?"

"I don't know..." she repeated with a shrug. Wilson started pacing House' living room, shaking his head.

"Cuddy, where do you think all of this will lead you to? You're with Lucas now, you decided to move in with him and start a family together. Stop playing with House's feelings, please don't act like Stacy did because in the end I'll be the one to help House put his pieces back together."

"Wilson!" she scoffed angrily. Wilson's words were still in her mind. _Was she playing with House? Were they deceiving each other with those talks and nights spent together? _Cuddy shook her head and looked up at her friend.

"You don't have to worry. There won't be any pieces to put back together. He won't fall apart this time." she said. He has changed, in better and probably she's the one who'll fall to pieces if she kept thinking of him, of a life with him when she was dating another man.

"Are you sure? Because it seems to me you're giving him hope. He's positive you'll leave Lucas and he'll have you back for himself." Wilson almost yelled. So, he thinks he can convince me into leaving Lucas for him. _He doesn't need to convince him, I've been in love with him my whole life_, she though. Cuddy shook her head one more time, trying to erase those irrational thoughts out of her mind.

"Oh Wilson, stop that! House's always the same. He's curious because I'm living in his apartment, he's just marking his territory. To him it's just a game." she said, not sounding as convinced as she wanted.

"Are you completely sure of this?" he asked.

"Yes." she said but in her head, a voice was yelling at her that she couldn't be so sure about it. "I'm sure, or I wouldn't behave this way." she concluded, trying to convince herself more than her friend. "Sorry, Wilson, but I really need to get ready. It's late!"

In that moment the doorbell rang again, this time Cuddy was sure it was the baby sitter. She opened the door, gestured her to go into the kitchen, and in the meanwhile she bid good-bye to Wilson, closing the door behind his back. The Oncologist stood there in disbelief, but shrugged and made his way towards his car.

* * *

She arrived at PPTH late as she had expected. She unlocked her office, left her purse and coat inside and grabbed her white lab coat from the hanger. She was scheduled to do some clinic that morning. With House.

"Hi..." she whispered almost shyly when she met him.

"Good morning Dr Cuddy!" he yelled. All the nursed turned towards him, waiting for a smart-ass comment, but they were soon disappointed. He shut up and grabbed a folder from the pile on the nurses' desk and, after calling a patient, he entered Exam Room 2. Cuddy stared at him speechless before grabbing another folder from the same pile and leading her new patient into another room.

* * *

House closed the exam room's door behind his back with his usual brutal manners.

"It's 12:30 and I'm done with this crap." He yelled, earning a death glare from the nurses and patients in the clinic. His stomach growled for the hunger and, after checking his clock, he decided to join Wilson, who was supposed to be in the Cafeteria having lunch by now. Bursting the doors open, he immediately spotted Cuddy's petite figure: she was sitting at her usual table, a folder open and her eyes glued to it, a salad on her left and a glass of iced tea on her right.

"Good morning Sleepyhead. I don't want to be rude- he smirked- but you snore worse than Wilson!" he yelled. Cuddy's head immediately snapped up, sending him one of her infamous death glares.

"I'm not the one who arrived at the hospital at 10!" she commented angrily.

"You snored worse than a sailor and kicked me in the groin while sleeping! I should have taken the day off!" he replied. Cuddy frowned a little, not sure if what House had said was fruit of his imagination or not.

"Yeah, keep those excuses for another time." She said, closing the folder and starting to eat her lunch.

"And by the way, you fell asleep before I did and didn't even get to watch the end of the episode." he said. "And you arrived late too!" he added pointing at her, then trying to steal a slice of tomato from her plate.

"I fell asleep right before the episode ended. Have you even thought that I actually work the whole day no stop? I'm tired at night!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I'm the one who saves lives here!"

"Oh right, I almost forgot you are the Super Man of the hospital, pardon me…" she said with a irritated laugh.

"I could make a T-shirt with that logo…" House said sounding interested.

"And by the way, I arrived late because of your little friend!" she commented harshly.

House gasped in shock. "Little Greg was a good boy. He didn't do what you're accusing him of!" he said, grabbing his crotch under the table. _Even if he did want to do something… someone,_ he thought. Cuddy tried to suppress a small smile, shocked and truly amused by his joke.

"House!" she scolded him playfully.

"Oh, you meant Wilson?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes, your best friend." She replied, still laughing at his previous joke, recalling a very shy Wilson ringing House's doorbell and thinking Cuddy and him slept together.

"Why are you laughing?" he asked.

Cuddy shook her head and stared at him with a smile. "Everybody wonders why you and Wilson are friends and I've come to the conclusion that both of you are the male version of Gossip Girl. That's why you two get along so great." She said without being able to hide a smile.

"Thank you for these pearls of wisdom, Dr Cuddy. What did Wilson do this time?" he asked sounding annoyed.

"He came by this morning and he was sure you and I had sex last night. When I told him we didn't he started blathering something about you thinking there might me a remote possibility you could get into my pants." She explained.

"Oh, Wilson, Wilson, Wilson, will he ever learn how to keep his mouth shut?" he said, staring at the ceiling.

"Keep his mouth shut about what?" Cuddy repeated.

"Wilson tends to talk a lot and most of the times he ends up saying way too much. He's always had this gossiping personality, he would have been a perfect woman." He commented with a smug smile.

"But you like his for this, don't you?" Cuddy commented with a laugh.

"Other than being so freaking handsome, his female part has always intrigued me. I get hot when I think of him." He said. Cuddy grimaced in horror.

"If you weren't with Stacy when you presented him to me, I would have thought you two were an item!" she joked.

"Well, I don't think you know the whole story. We met at a conference where I had to bail him out of jail." He said smiling. Cuddy's jaw dropped, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You would have never bail anyone out of jail…" she said.

"Oh yeah, keep commenting on my behavior but not on our manipulative teddy bear being in prison..." he said, rolling his eyes.

"I've already said this before. There's nothing to be surprised. Wilson is your friend, he must have done something to catch your interest and of course he's probably a complete weirdo when he's not working." She said, smiling back at him.

"So, if I think of you as a friend this would mean calling you a freak too?" he asked.

"I was a freak back in college as you remember" she laughed but then thought about the first part of his statement. "Wait, you don't think of me as a friend?"

"That depends. When I came back from Mayfield it seemed to me that you scratched my name down from your list of friends." He confesses almost shyly.

"Really? Do you seriously think I ended our friendship? You were the one who wouldn't talk to me, House!" she said, anger starting to rise.

"I'm not the one who walked away at that conference." He said, almost yelling. When he realized people were staring at him, he lowered his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't meant to snap like that…"

"Please, don't start talking about my love and sex life. I'm tired of you nosing around when I'm trying to move on…" she confessed.

"Cuddy, please…think! We're both stupid, we have screwed up plenty of chances. I admit it, I was the one who screwed things up the most, but what bothers me is that you haven't realized that if we are where we are right now it's partly your fault too." he confessed.

"I know. But you're the one who was a complete imbecile." She said locking her eyes with his.

"Do you still think I'm some sort of a child?" he asked.

"You are a child, House." She replied coldly.

"See? You're doing this again. Cuddy, I've changed. Why can't you believe it!" he repeated.

"What if I ask you to stop with these games?" she asked still looking through his eyes, where a wave of different emotions was clearly visible.

"I'd stop right now." was his reply. All Cuddy could do was closing her eyes to stop the tears from falling.

During their confrontation a nurse had slowly approached the table where the two doctors were seated, a folder in her hands, a small terrified smile on her face.

"Dr Cuddy, there's a patient in Exam Room 5 asking for you." She said, trying not to sound scared, knowing that her boss might be extremely angry in that moment. But when Cuddy looked at her, the poor nurse didn't see anger, but sadness.

"I'll be right there." She answered, standing up. After buttoning her jacket she walked away from the table, holding the now empty plate and glass. After a couple steps, she stopped abruptly and turned to look at House with a small smile.

"Are you coming over tonight?" she asked shyly. House wasn't expecting her question, but immediately nodded.

"Of course Honey bun! You'll find me naked on our silky sheets." He yelled.

"HOUSE!" she scolded him, this time more amused than angry, before walking away with a smile on her lips.

Staring at her boss and at the misanthropic jerk, known as Dr House, the nurse started to walk away but the Diagnostician stopped her with his voice.

"I only use silky sheets with her because she's special, you'll have to be happy using the janitor closet on the second floor because the one of the first floor is already taken by Chase and Cameron. Wait, she dumped him so it's free now."

The nurse smiled knowing too well that he was joking and walked away leaving him to his thoughts.

* * *

**Read and review, please! ****


	8. Chapter 8

**Fighting in a flat**

Hi guys, thanks for the reviews you all gave me, I hope you guys keep reading this story. Few chapters left till the finale! Tonight I'm updating both this one and One and Only, so check that one out too! A big shout out/ happy birthday wish to Christa_MD who reads my fics and is a great chick :)

* * *

**Chapter 8**

House walked out of the Cafeteria and was met by Wilson. The Oncologist immediately turned around and followed his friend.

"I saw you talking with Cuddy and no one ended up dead." he pointed out.

"That's what normal people do…" House replied smugly.

"First of all, you and Cuddy are not normal. Secondly, you never have lunch with her willingly." His friend commented.

"Who told you I wasn't there against my will?" he said. Wilson froze a little, realizing something.

"You're still in love with her!" he said with a wide smile.

"I've never been. Never will." He lied.

"Mine wasn't a question; it was a statement. You're in love." He repeated.

"Wilson, do the world a favor: stop watching those damn soap operas and chicks' movies."

"Yeah, or else I would end up being like you…" he replied rolling his eyes.

"Nope, you're becoming a huge adorable teddy bear…" he said.

Both doctors entered the Diagnostician's outer office, before entering in his personal one. Still laughing after House's last joke, Wilson cleared his throat and sat on his chair.

"So, how are nights with Cuddy?"

"Beyond boredom…"

"I doubt that…"

"How could you say that? And by the way, what did you tell Cuddy this morning?" he asked angrily.

"Me? I didn't say a single thing…"

"Jimmy-boy, you don't fool me that easily"

"We talked about work…"

"Wilson…"

"Okay, I told her she was giving you hope and that you think this is not a game anymore." Wilson explained.

"This is a game for me…" he lied again.

"Cut the crap, House! Either you're being a big idiot or…"

"Or what?"

"You'll end up hurt, House… You know she's giving you an illusion…"

"An illusion? Wilson, I'm not expecting her to fall to my feet."

"Aren't you? Because to me it looks like you're trying your best to get into her pants!"

"For Pete's sake, Wilson! I'm not trying to get her to sleep with me! I'm not that desperate…."

"But showing up at her place…" he started before House interrupted him.

"That's my apartment and I don't want to throw her out…"

"But you're not helping your situation. You love her and want her…"

"So what?" he shouted. "She has a boyfriend and a daughter in her life already. I'm just a friend."

"So now, all you want is to be a friend of her."

"Yes, what's the problem in that?"

Wilson sighed, shook her head and stoop up. "You'll get your heart broken…"

"I can deal with it…" House said before the Oncologist walked out of the office.

"I don't know how though…" he whispered to himself before closing his eyes and resting his head on the desk, trying to take a nap and clear his thoughts.

* * *

It was 5 PM when House decided it was time for him to leave and go home to take a shower before going to his old apartment. He had already picked out the recipe for tonight and the groceries were already at his place thanks to his house keeper.

Walking out of the elevator, he decided to stop and say hi to Cuddy, but when he reached her door he saw someone with her. His heart skipped a beat before starting to beat louder in his ears. His breathing irregular while the pain in his leg increased quickly.

Lucas gave her another hug, kissing her cheek. She was smiling what seemed a true smile. House shook his head and walked back towards the elevator, headed to his office.

* * *

He walked into his office, tiredness and sadness could be seen in his eyes as Wilson's words kept repeating themselves in his mind. Wilson, his best friend, had tried to convince him that all of this was a mistake, that he would end up one again with a broken heart in the end. He laid down on his chair, putting his feet on the ottoman, trying to clear his mind from the scene he had assisted to in Cuddy's office.

He recalled when Cuddy had come to his office with her baby. Rachel was in her mother's arms and her little feet were kicking freely. "We talked. We connected…" Cuddy was glowing while holding her personal ray of sunshine, her shot at happiness. Her smile and laugh was what House had appreciate the most in her that night. "You wanna hold her?" she had asked and even if House didn't really want to held her, Cuddy handed the baby to him, till Rachel puked on him. Cuddy had laughed wholeheartedly. "If I had puked on you, you would have yelled at me." He had said. "You puke isn't that cute." She had replied still laughing, before offering him a napkin.

He then remembered when he was under Methadone and he had fallen asleep in his office. He woke up to Foreman, Cuddy and Wilson staring at him with a worried expression displaying on their faces. She then sat in front of him, checking his vitals. "My penis stopped breathing. Do you know how to CPR?" he had joked. Cuddy had stared at him in the eyes, clearly trying to hide a smile and at the same time to look mad at him.

In that moment Wilson knocked on his door, clearing his mind from the memories. "Not going home tonight?" he asked. House stroked his face and rubbed his beard and sighed.

"I need to check on my patient then I'm leaving." He said.

"Did something happen?" the Oncologist asked concerned.

"Nope, but I can't focus if you stay here…." He answered annoyed.

"Okay, I'm leaving now. Let me know if I should save some pizza for you…" he said before leaving his friend to his thoughts.

House sat there till sleep slowly overtook him. He wouldn't visit Cuddy tonight, nor go home to Wilson.

* * *

She was sitting on his couch, waiting for him to show up and watch his soap opera with her, joking about Wilson's bushy eyebrows or whatever he wanted to talk about. While waiting for him, she recalled their confrontation in the hospital canteen. _I'm not the one who walked away at that conference_, he had said. She thought about that night at the party. That night Greg House had opened his heart to her, he had been sincere and that had shocked her. She had spent the previous months trying her best to move on, to forget about him. She had convinced herself that she wasn't in love with him, or at least she pretended she wasn't.

She rocked her sleeping daughter in her arms a couple more minutes before looking down at her and pressing a kiss on her forehead. She went to the bedroom and laid her in her improvised crib. She laughed upon recalling what House had said that morning: _Of course Honey bun! You'll find me naked on our silky sheets._ She kept laughing, while trying to imagine the scene.

She walked to the kitchen to make some tee. Her stomach had been bothering her the whole day, probably because of the stress she had been under. Upon reaching the kitchen she had to take a detour to the bathroom, where she emptied her stomach into the toilet. It was normal for her to be nauseous when she was under a lot of stress. She sighed and went back in the kitchen to get her tea.

Walking into the living room and taking a glimpse of the clock, she understood that he wouldn't come over tonight. She sat on the couch just in time to watch the last few minutes of the soap opera she had learned to like: the twins had found the old man's testament and had tried to hide it from everybody but the Dean's daughter had found out their evil plan.

After the ending theme of the show, Cuddy wasn't sleepy and having already finished her paperwork, she decided to read a book. She stood up and walked to the library. Scrolling through the books, she didn't see anything that interested her, so she settled for a medical journal. Twenty minutes later, she was bored out of her mind but still not sleepy. She went to check on Rachel, but stopped when she reached the hallway. She stared at the small closet. She walked closer to it and couldn't resist her curiosity so she gave up and opened it.

She saw a variety of Nike shoes and a single pair of more elegant ones. She laughed thinking that even if he was a cripple he had more shoes than a store. Taking a look on the higher shelf she spotted a wooden box. When she opened it she found IV bags and little bottles containing something she didn't know and honestly didn't want to know. She put everything back to its proper place before moving towards the bedroom. After checking on Rachel, she decided to search all around his place to with the aim to find something interesting and maybe some black mailing material. She opened the bed side tables but nothing interesting was in them. She then moved to his closet and chest of drawers, laughing at how many T-shirts he owned.

When she moved to the living room she saw a chest under his desk. Opening it, she saw a blanket. She smelled it, realizing how stupid she must have looked. Putting it aside, she extracted a box from the chest. There were letters sent to him from his mother during college and the letter of the Dean throwing him out of school for cheating. There were also some folders collected during his internship or his first few years of work. Under those things, she found photos of his family and friends. She smiled upon seeing one of the pictures of his childhood. She looked at every single photo, recognizing people she had met in college. She was about to put everything back in the box when she spotted something else. She opened the piece of paper and a tear escaped from her eyes. It was a birthday card she had wrote to him few years before. She remember writing it and hiding it in a folder, but when she reached the clinic and saw him, she threw it in the first basket she found. She didn't know how he had found this or why he had kept it all this time, but she didn't mind. She was happy that he did what he did.

She put everything but the birthday card in the box and went to bed. She laid under the sheets, holding that piece of paper against her chest. A combination of happiness, fear and perhaps love was all she could feel. She fell asleep minutes later, forgetting about everything she was worried about.

* * *

**Read and review :) I'll update on monday!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Fighting in a flat**

Thanks for the reviews and subscriptions! 4 more chapters left after this one! Fasten your seat belts and get ready! :) I need to reply to **secrets_union**'s review: Lucas being a P.I (even if a lousy one ù.ù)surely knows about her girlfriend living in House's apartment but he doesn't show his disappointment, probably because he wants Cuddy to relax and most of all she needs some time alone to think about their relationship... you'll soon understand why. Thanks again for the lovely reviews and for your support. I'll try to update tomorrow. Still unbeta-ed, I apologize for any mistake. Leave a review on your way out and make my day :)

* * *

**Chapter 9**

When Wilson entered the hospital that morning he immediately took the elevator and reached the fourth floor. He walked inside the Diagnostician's office and opened the windows, letting the sun illuminate the room. House, still laying on his ergonomic chair, growled in disappointment, covering his eyes with his hands.

"What the hell Wilson?" he yelled. Wilson stared at him in disbelief then walked out the room, headed to his office. Leaving his bag and coat there, he immediately made his way back to the Diagnostician's office.

"You're an idiot!" he said, before storming out one more time, deciding upon getting rid of the two hours of clinic he was scheduled for today. Upon arriving on the first floor, he saw Cuddy walking quickly back into her office holding a file in her hand and a very angry look on her face. He followed her, truly concerned. But when she shut him out, closing the door in his face, he gasped and stared at the scene displaying inside the woman's office: an infuriated Cuddy was typing angrily on her laptop. Her assistant looked at him and sighed.

"I suggest you not to go inside…for at least another couple hours. She's so not in a good mood this morning." she said. Wilson was beyond confused, he kept staring at Cuddy but in the end he decided to follow the girl's advice and let her cool off. He then took a folder from the pile on the nurses' desk and started working, his mind still miles away thinking about his two best friends and their weird behaviour.

* * *

After what seemed like ages, Wilson walked out of the clinic, headed to the fourth floor. When he entered his office, House was laying on his couch.

"Have you seen Cuddy this morning? She has threatened to fire three nurses and Richardson because she thought he was hitting on them." Wilson said.

"Richardson has been hitting on the new nurses since he had started working here." House replied.

"She's pissed. I have no idea why, I suppose you're the reason."

House chuckled. "Yeah, blame it on the cripple. Come on I'm hungry." He said, standing up.

They went to the Cafeteria, took their usual lunch plus double ice cream for House, then sat on the first free table they found. While House played with his fries, Wilson tried to start the conversation.

"So, how's your case?" he asked.

"I'm a genius. Do the math."

Wilson rolled his eyes at him. "So, why are you so tense?"

House stick a fry up his nose and grinned. "Do I look tense to you?" he said, eating that fry.

"That's gross, even for you!" the Oncologist said disgusted. "And yes, I do think you are nervous, maybe more disappointed, though." House kept eating. "Is it because of your leg?" he asked worried.

"I think so…" he replied.

"You think so? How's the pain?" the friend asked with concern.

"Normal…" he answered with a shrug.

"So… it's not the pain bothering you." He said, but House didn't reply, but kept eating his food. "Did something happen between you and Cuddy?"

"Why do you always make her name come out in a conversation?" he snapped.

Cuddy walked into the Cafeteria in that moment, she grabbed a salad, paid for her lunch and was about to leave when Wilson stopped her.

"Cuddy, why don't you sit with us?" he asked with a smile. She smiled back at him but shook her head, saying that she was busy. An awkward smile was shared between House and Cuddy, which Wilson immediately noticed. James just smiled, but when she was out of sight, he turned towards House and stared at him. "Did something happen to her?"

"Her boy-toy is not getting it up enough for her likings" he replied harshly.

Wilson kept staring at him, words sinking in. _They had sex!,_ his brain shouted. That awkward smile they shared, her being overly annoyed, him sleeping in his office. _He must have left before she woke up. Oh my god, _he though. _She's still dating Lucas. She cheated on him!_

"Did you get it up for her?" Wilson asked, causing House to choke on his soda.

"Wilson, I'm a gentleman. I don't go around ripping panties from needy women. I'm not you." He said, before standing up holding his two ice creams. "You're an idiot." He concluded before leaving his best friend alone, to think about everything he had discovered that day.

Wilson was shocked, confused by his friend's words. Did House really sleep with Cuddy or what? He needed to know. He stood up, leaving his lunch halfway, too anxious to get the answers to his questions. He quickly made his way towards Cuddy's office, where he found his boss eating her salad and focusing on some documents that needed her approval.

"Good morning, Lisa. How are you?" he asked cheerfully. Cuddy glared at him, then suppressed a smirk, knowing already what the Oncologist wanted to know.

"I'm great, James. What about you?" she said, pronouncing his name with more emphasis on his name.

"What? I can't call you Lisa now?" he asked. "Clearly House has done something to you."

"I'm not angry, I'm just surprised you used my name. And by the way, House has done anything, that's why I'm mad at him." She replied, pretending to focus on those documents.

"So, House has done anything and that's why you're angry." He concluded, staring at her, raising an eyebrow.

Cuddy sighed. "I've got a lot of work to do. Can't you just go?" she dismissed him. Wilson stared at her but then decided that it was better for him to shut up and follow the woman's orders.

Cuddy frowned. She had tried to focus on those documents the whole morning with the aim to end those files before the board meeting taking place the following day. She started reading the first paragraph but again she didn't understand a single thing. Sighing, she forked some salad and popped a forkful of veggies in her mouth. Her mind was running wild, thinking about whatever were the reasons House didn't show up the previous night. She was sure he would came over, she expected him to do so after their conversation from the previous afternoon. She had trusted him to stop the game they used to play and be an adult. Maybe she was just over-reacting, maybe she was just nervous and angry that she had fallen for him one more time. But she recalled _he_ was the one who wanted to meet her for the first few nights; he was the one who sent her those texts telling her to cook something and assuring her he would be the one to bring some booze. She had laughed at those messages, and now she was laughing again at the only thought of them.

Suddenly an idea came to her mind. _Maybe House didn't come over because of a patient_, she thought. She opened her computer, checked in the database and looked for House's latest patient: Kelly Odeom left the hospital at 19 the previous night. Cuddy sighed one more time, trying to think of another reason. Perhaps I should go up to his office, check if he's okay and simply ask him. Cuddy shook her head and focused back on the files. She was going home in a couple hours and everything will be back to normal. She just hoped House will show up this time.

* * *

House sat at his desk, legs propped onto the surface of it. He thought about Cuddy the whole day: their conversation from the previous day and seeing her with Lucas again, were what have kept his mind busy for the last 24 hours. Wilson was an idiot, a good friend but an idiot. Was it possible that he couldn't keep his mouth shut about his and Cuddy's dysfunctional relationship? In the Oncologist's opinion everything in the Diagnostician's life was related to Cuddy. _Maybe he's not that stupid_, House though in the end.

House looked at the computer screen and, noticing that it was almost time to leave the hospital for the night, he wondered if he should go to his old apartment or not. He had disappointed Cuddy already by not showing up the previous night, but seeing Lucas holding her in his arms, the smile on the woman's face, everything about their embrace had made his blood freeze. She didn't deserve a jerk, misanthropic pain in the ass as a friend, and definitely not as a lover. But he wanted to see her, to talk to her and enjoy some good company, and the fact that he _perhaps_ was in love with her was a plus.

House sighed, thinking about a good excuse for his absence, but immediately stood up, making his way down the hallway. Exiting from the elevator, he limped towards the glass door of the hospital where he met by Cuddy.

"Hi…" she said.

"Hi…" he replied after what seemed like a couple minutes.

"You lost a great episode last night." She pointed out with a smile. "The twins found their third sibling and tonight they will try to break into the Dean's old house" she informed him.

"Is tonight's the episode where Dr Kilopd comes back from Afghanistan?" he asked.

"Yup, want to come over to my place?" she asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

"Technically, that is still my apartment." He smirked.

"Whatever! Wanna come over or what?" she repeated, her smile widening by the second.

"Okay. But I want you to cook me dinner. It's the least you can do!" he offered. Cuddy laughed throatily and nodded her head.

"I will, but if you end up dead it won't be my fault!" she said before waving him good bye. House stared at her as she slid into her car and drove off the parking lot. He smiled and got on his bike, ready to follow her to his apartment.

* * *

**Read and Review**


	10. Chapter 10

**Fighting in a flat**

Thank you so much for all the feedback you've been giving me. A big thank you to_ ally _who has started reading this story yesterday and had reviewed every single chapter *hugs*. This is the first part of two of the final confrontation between House and Cuddy before the last chapter in which... bla bla bla... I'm not spoiling you! XD but you know me, I'm a sucker for fluffiness and cuteness so I'm sure you'll know there is a happy ending to all this! Still unbeta-ed, blame me for any mistake. Leave a review on your way out.

**Chapter 10**

Both doctors entered the house like a normal couple. She opened the door, bid good-bye to the nanny and immediately went to the bedroom to change into something more comfortable. In the meanwhile, House tossed his backpack in a corner, slid off of his shoes and laid on the couch. Rachel who was sitting on the carpet, stared at him, seeming truly interested in the man in front of her.

"I'm taking Rachel to the bedroom, you cook something and turn on the TV already. It takes a while to start. Maybe I should pay you more. You really need to buy a new one!" Cuddy said, while entering the living room in a pair of loose yoga pants and a tank top.

"See? You really should. I'm your hospital best asset, I deserve to be paid more!" he yelled.

"Maybe I should have told you to stop buying useless things and buy things you really need. Like for example a new TV" she said from the other room.

"Monster Trucks' tickets are important. And by the way, the other day I bought groceries for you."

Cuddy was tucking her daughter in and didn't paid attention to House, but when she finally entered the living room she was there waiting for an answer. "You bought me what?" she asked.

"Groceries. The fridge was empty. I didn't now menopause could make you deaf.." he joked.

"How come a famous Diagnostician doesn't remember the menopause's symptoms? I'll help you with this one. It's a lot similar to andropause. You can relate your symptoms to the menopause's ones." She said back.

"Yeah, yeah. Stop playing with my feelings, Dr Cuddy. That' really hard for me" he said in a mocking tone, bringing a hand to his chest and pretending to be deeply offended.

"I'm not mocking you, I'm just trying to help you. You know, old people need to stick around together…" she said with a smile.

"So you admit you'll soon be an old granny?" he said. Cuddy laughed. "I already feel old!" she replied.

Seeing that the soap opera was starting, Cuddy grabbed the remote and lowered the volume a little, trying not to wake Rachel.

"Go grab something from the fridge. I need food." She said.

"At your orders…" he said, bowing a little. House went into the kitchen to grab what he had prepared earlier and set it on the coffee table. He handed her a fork and sat next to her on the couch.

The soap opera had already started and they were completely focused on it, not even caring about the food.

"Oh come on! That's not even possible! How can he be still alive after that explosion?" she snapped after a while.

"He can't die! He's like... he's like Horatio Cane. He can't die!" was his reply. They both laughed.

"Who will read the man's testament if the notary is dead?" she asked.

"Johanna called his ex-fiancé, José, and he'll make sure the hearing will be prorogued." he answered, remembering that day when a stupid fan-girl had spoiled him in the clinic.

"Five bucks says after this scene the Taco Bell AD comes up." Cuddy said, staring at him mischievously. House shook her hand, sealing the deal and grinned.

Two minutes later, the Taco Bell theme started echoing in the room, followed by a guttural "yes" from Cuddy. House immediately took $5 from his pocket and gave it to Cuddy. "I won!" she said with a smile.

"I know…" he replied.

"I want to hear you saying it!" Cuddy ordered with a smug smile. House shook his head and laughed.

"Never!" he edged.

"Then you must tell me why you didn't come over last night. It's the least you can do." she said.

"I had a case..." he lied. Cuddy shook her head.

"That's a lie. I checked the database myself. Your patient left yesterday at 7"

"Then I went to Wilson's." he lied again.

"Another lie. Wilson and I talked this morning; he,_ again,_ thought you spent the night here."

"Everybody lies and for several different reasons." he said.

"Yeah, stop deflecting. I know all your mottoes and I don't believe to any of them. Now, tell me why the hell you haven't showed up last night. I waited for you till late and I was worried something had happened to you." she confessed.

"You shouldn't worry about me. You should have never done that."

"Like that's easy when at least once a year you show up in the ER drunk, or high, or bleeding from your head."

"Cuddy, we've known each other since we were young. You know me."

"And what does this mean? I can't care for a friend? Or since I know you so well, I should have expected you not to show up?" she asked angrily.

"Nope. You should know by now that everything I do comes from something I _see_ or feel." he explained.

"I still don't understand what you're implying."

"You are using me, Cuddy. You are with Lucas and yet you're living under my roof."

"You think I'm using you? That's what you think?" she asked, receiving a nod from the man. "You're an idiot!"

"So I am the idiot now! Why are you here? Why aren't you at Lucas'?" he asked again, this time more directly and with more strength.

"Because I needed somewhere to stay. My mother basically hates me, or rather, she hates my life choices; Lucas's place is out of question; and all the hotels near the hospital are fully booked because of a reunion. I thought Wilson would have helped me, so I asked him." she explained calmly.

"I still don't get why you're not at Lucas' place? When I went there last year, it wasn't small nor messy, while my apartment is kind of messy." he pointed out.

"Well, I... I needed some time alone, somewhere to think about my life." she said, before massaging her stomach, feeling a wave of nausea coming. She hated being under stress.

House immediately noticed her movements but she didn't see his curious eyes wandering over her body.

"So,_ this_ is the reason" he concluded, now unable to look at her.

"Yes, I need some time alone, to deal with everything..."

"So, that's why you and Lucas were hugging last night..." he said. Cuddy stared at him for a while, looking for his eyes, but he was on his side and was staring out of space.

"You didn't come over because you saw me and Lucas hugging?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I could have had other reasons not to come."

"House, Lucas was there because we needed to clarify things..." she explained.

"I saw how you two clarified those said things..." he snapped.

"I needed to tell him something and last night when he showed up at the hospital, I finally had the courage to tell him. We decided to take a break for a week or so because our lives were taking a _new turn_..." she confessed. In the meanwhile her stomach was growling silently and Cuddy once again, placed a hand on her belly.

House nodded, capturing with his eyes her gestures. He couldn't believe it. "I get it..."

"I wanted to tell you this before, but first I needed to discuss about it with Lucas..." she said in almost a whisper. Se was glad he had understood everything without her telling him directly what her problem was.

"So... how long has _this_ being going on?" he asked.

"Almost a month..." she answered, feeling a little guilty.

"Well, finally you have what you've always wanted. I'm... happy for both you and Lucas." he said, obviously pretending to be happy.

"You... you're happy for me?" she asked in disbelief.

"What do you want me to tell you? You want me to tell you something brutal, that will hurt you? Such as you're wrong, you're wasting your life, you'll regret it? I can go on, you know?" he said, getting more and more frustrated and almost aggressive in his tone.

"Regret it?" she asked confused.

"Do you want me to tell you that everything will go back as it used to be?" he asked again. "I'm an idiot. I should probably go..."

"I'm sorry, House. Please don't go. We... we need to sort things out for good." she pleaded him. He shrugged and, after putting on his jacket, he left closing the door behind his back. Cuddy felt a new wave of tears threatening to escape from her eyes when she hear the roaring of his bike. She want to bed immediately, laying down next to her daughter, cuddling her trying not to thing about how messed up her life was.

* * *

That morning after the meeting with Board, Cuddy's schedule was empty. She thought about the possibility to take the rest of the day off and go home to Rachel. She sighed, a hand supporting her head, the other massaging her forehead and right temple. She decided upon going to the Cafeteria to grab another coffee, but when she spotted House walking thought the clinic, she grabbed her lab coat and exited her office; maybe some clinic duty, would make her feel slightly better.

"Hi..." she said. He walked closer to her and greeted her back.

"I'm actually surprised. I've been seeing you in the clinic more often lately. I see you're finding interesting cases." she said, trying to start a conversation.

"I need to talk to you..." he admitted. Cuddy stared at him, obviously worried.

"I'll see you after clinic. We could grab a coffee in the cafeteria..." she offered.

"I don't know, my boss is a real harpy. I don't know if she will let me take some time off." he joked with a small smile. Cuddy laughed and shook her head.

"I'll talk to her. I can be very, very convincing." she offered with a smile of her own.

"She can be a bad ass too. And she's also very convincing. Sometimes I wonder how she can manipulate all those donors into giving her money. I think she has a 'secret' technique." he commented.

"Should I be worried?" she asked.

"Only when she starts touching you in your funny places."

"Maybe she's the one who has to be worried..." she said, causing House to smirk. "I'll see you later, House." she said before grabbing a folder and following a patient into an exam room.

* * *

An hour later, Cuddy entered the Cafeteria. She saw him immediately and frowned: he looked very nervous, his fingers drumming on the table, his eyes fixed on his cup of coffee, his minds miles away. She sat at the table, interrupting his thoughts. He offered her a cup of coffee and looked at her in the eyes.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked.

"About last night, actually about what you told me – he paused – are you sure you really want this in your life?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I've been thinking about it for years and now I realized that if I actually do this, my life, Rachel's and Lucas' will change completely"

"You don't look happy."

"I am happy, I really am. I've been waiting for this since I was a kid, but now I am scared because this will change my life drastically. I think it's normal to feel this way..."

"I think so. But, you know, I am not an expert in relationships." he said.

"Wel, you're still a friend, so now I'm asking your opinion."

"It's a good thing that you still consider me as a friend" he said. "In my opinion,_ this_ is something really serious and maybe it's a little too soon..." he trailed off. _Don't want to give you hope_, he though.

"Too soon? I'm 40, maybe what you anted to say is that it's too late." she laughed.

"You're 38 and that's why it's a little... dangerous..."

"39 and why would it be dangerous?" she was puzzled by now.

"You're a certain age and this could cause problems..."

"Between me and Lucas?" she asked even more confused.

"No, I meant the other thing..." he said waving his hands towards her. Cuddy stared at him before rolling her eyes.

"The sex? Seriously, House. That's not even funny." she replied annoyed.

"For the love of God, I wasn't referring to your sex life. I'm serious here Cuddy!" he edged.

"Then what were you referring to?" she asked again.

"Oh god" he said, stroking his face. "Let's stop this conversation, okay. It's pointless." he said, standing up. Cuddy immediately grabbed his arm and forced him to sit back.

"No, no, no. You wanted the bicycle, now pedal." she said.

"I'm a cripple, Cuddy. Lay down with those metaphors!" he said, with a small smile.

"What were you referring to, House?" she repeated.

"This will change your life inside and outside the hospital..." he said.

"You're afraid our relationship will be affected by this. House, nothing will change. We'll always be this way." she assured him.

"Cuddy, why can't you understand? Every single thing will change after this!"

"Aren't you over-reacting? I think you're being overly dramatic." she said laughing.

"And I think you're being way too optimistic."

"Why?" she asked sounding exasperated.

"A baby changes everything and I know you have always wanted to have one yourself, but maybe it's too late. I mean, I don't want to see you go through such a delusion again."

"A baby?" she asked.

"Stop joking, Cuddy!" he snapped.

"I'm not joking, House! I'm deadly serious here!" she shook her head.

"You're pregnant!" he repeated.

"I AM NOT!" she almost yelled.

House's eyes widened before he slapped his forehead and felt as stupid as a sloth.


	11. Chapter 11

**Fighting in a flat**

I'm proud to announce this is the final chapter of this story. Ain't kidding ya kiddos. Thanks so much for following the story from the beginning till the end, I really appreciate all the feedback you've given me and this story. A huge thank you to those who had reviewed every single chapter (or almost)! One more thing:

**Anon:** I love this story... even though I loved it more last year – then you took a hiatus, but I'm optimistic. Thanks for updating... chapter 11. LOL!  ** I don't understand what you meant here. Last years as in the Italian version or as the first few chapter? And what about chapter 11?**

Thanks again. Leave and review on your way out :)

. . . . .

**Chapter 11**

"_I'm not joking, House! I'm deadly serious here!" she shook her head._

"_You're pregnant!" he repeated._

"_I AM NOT!" she almost yelled. _

_House's eyes widened before he slapped his forehead and felt as stupid as a sloth. _

The Cafeteria was almost empty, doctors and nurses were going back to their offices and patients; but House and Cuddy were still sitting at their table, locking eyes with each other, breathing quickly almost panting, cheeks flushed.

"So, you are not pregnant." House repeated.

"No, I am not." she confirmed.

"Your behavior told me otherwise..." he pointed out, his hands gesturing towards her.

"I can assure you I am not pregnant and my behavior wasn't affected nor by a baby neither by hormones." Cuddy assured him.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked. Cuddy shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm disappointed, though."

"Why?"

"You keep saying you're a genius, but you still haven't understood my problem," she replied. "So what's your problem?" he asked. "Forget it, House," she said, before taking a sip from her mug.

"Are you going back to my apartment?" he asked, but Cuddy shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Because of me?" Cuddy shook her head another time. Her hand reached for his on the table and held it. "It's my fault, not yours. I had fun, but..." she trailed off. "But..." he continued.

"I'm getting married," she confessed. House's eyes widened, his mouth hang open. His heart was beating faster and faster, he was breathing hard. In the end, all he could do was nod. "Lucas proposed, but I haven't given him an answer yet. I took some time to think about it."

"You haven't given him an answer... but, isn't it what you have always wanted?" he asked, his voice cracking a little.

Cuddy smiled sadly. "It is. It surely is. It's just... I'm not sure if I really want to spend the rest of my life with him. I don't think I deserve him and his love. I'm so confused right now. I have always wanted the perfect wedding, the perfect family and now that I could easily have both, I keep asking myself if that's what I really want; and even if I want something different, you know... you can't always get what you want," she said. House smirked. "But if you try sometimes you might get what you need," he concluded.

"Lucas is great with Rachel and with me. He treats me well, he helps me but... I don't think I'm really in love with him," she admitted, looking at their still intertwined hands, her thumb stroking his palm.

"Hey, I'm not the expert in relationships here, but if there's something I know, you don't have to feel forced to marry someone," he said almost shyly. Cuddy smiled, truly surprised by the man's advice. "Thanks. It's my choice, not anyone else's," she concluded with a sad smile. He nodded in return.

"I got to go. Meeting with the board, again." she said, taking the coffee with her. She was almost at the door when House's voice stopped her.

"Everybody knows this is going somewhere!" he yelled across the room.

Cuddy smiled and kept walking. "Yeah, everybody knows..." she whispered to herself with a smile.

. . . . .

_Later that night..._

He had told Wilson there was an emergency at the hospital, but he had another place in mind. His bike was running in the cold air of the night, streets were completely absorbed in the dark. No one was out there, but a couple of young kids busting music from their phones, chilling outside till dawn, enjoying the feeling on being surrounded by the night. Hi bike seemed to have a mind on its own and House was simply following its instinct. He really didn't know what to do.

"Come one, Rachel. Please be quiet," Cuddy said to her daughter, trying to calm her. She needed to collect all her things from House's apartment that night. Since Rachel had started walking, she had been hyperactive; walking around, crawling to the floor every now and then; terrorizing her mother and nanny. Cuddy went to the bed room, looking for her pajamas, but didn't find it. She mentally slapped herself: she didn't bring one from home; she had been using one of House's T-shirts. She immediately spotted it from the hanger behind the door; she took it and sniffed it, surprised that his scent was still there, filling her nostrils.

. . . . .

Everything had been different with her since college; since the first time they met. She knew everything about his reputation: a bad ass, a jerk a cynical son of a bitch. But every time me her friends tried to convince her that he wasn't worth it, she couldn't help but feel her attraction to him grew higher. All over the campus people talked about him, about how he could always get away from everything thanks to the brilliant brain of him.

"Endocrinology..." he said, sitting next to her in the last row of seats in the classroom.

"Yup, at least you already know how to pronounce it," she replied harshly.

"Gregory House," he greeted, offering his hand for her to shake.

"Lisa Cuddy. And no, I don't want to have sex with you," she said.

"You know, chicks can't resist me and you neither can you," he informed her smugly.

"I can assure you I won't fall to your feet. I'm not that desperate or needy." She chuckled.

"I know, you're way more intelligent than those gals out there," he commented. Lisa raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "Was that a compliment?" she asked in disbelief.

"Nope, it's not. I'm only stating that even if you're intelligent, you'll fall for me. Or better, you will think about e for the next... let's see... twenty years at least," he said with a smile.

"Of course," she said, rolling her eyes.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Cuddy," he said before standing up.

"Can't say the feeling is mutual." was her reply. But as soon as he left the room she smiled and shook her head. Maybe he was right. Maybe she would really think of him for the next twenty years. And she was sure, he would be thinking about her too.

. . . . .

He didn't know where he was heading to, nor how long he would drive. He was just following the street, letting him mind run free. He screamed, but no one heard him. He wanted to let put all the angst he had inside all the feeling and mixed emotions he was feeling.

. . . . .

She didn't realize she had fallen asleep with Rachel at her side. She had gone to the bedroom to put Rachel down to sleep, but then the tiredness took over her will and she had fallen asleep. As soon as she opened her eyes, she laid her back onto the headboard, combing her hair. She then got out of bed, run into the living room to change into something more appropriate. She took a pair of jeans from the bag and slipped them on, keeping House's T-shirt on. She then grabbed her coat and went back into the bedroom to take Rachel.

She had made up her mind. Finally, she had taken a decision.

. . . . .

_An hour and a half later..._

Cuddy drove to Wilson's condo and minutes later she was ringing his doorbell. "House, use your damn keys!" he yelled from the other side of the door.

"It's not House, Wilson." she informed him. She heard the man's steps getting closer and closer to the door, till he finally opened it. "Cuddy, what are you doing here?"

"House is not here?" she asked. Wilson shook his head no. "No, he's still at work. He was called in for an emergency. You should have known about it," he informed her.

"Well, no one informed me." she said. "I have to go now. If he comes back tell him I need to talk to him as soon as possible," she concluded before entering the elevator, leaving a stunned Wilson behind.

She walked to her car, holding Rachel with one arm and the phone with her other. She called the hospital and after making sure there was no emergency, she asked for House. Nurse Brenda informed her that he hadn't been there since he left at 5. Cuddy cut the phone call and sighed. _Where the hell are you, House!_

. . . . .

He took control over his bike, now headed back into the city, leaving the countryside. He kept driving till he reached a well known house. It had been a while since he had last step foot inside that place.

. . . . .

_Perhaps he's in some pub, getting wasted,_ she thought. She called him.

. . . . .

He turned off the engine and continued to sit on his bike. Hi phone went off for the millionth time, but again he didn't pick up thinking it was Wilson. He noticed the caller ID too late: it was Cuddy. He held the phone tight between his fingers, before calling her back.

"House, where the hell are you?" she asked.

"Somewhere..." he replied.

"I need to talk to you. Where are you?" she asked again.

"In front of your old place," he said before ending the call. Cuddy frowned but kept driving till she got there.

His bike was there, parked in her driveway while he was sitting on the sidewalk, waiting for her. She got out of the car, checked Rachel one more time. He stood up and met her halfway.

"I need to talk to you," they said together.

"Let me go first," he said. "I'm an idiot." Cuddy smiled and cut him off. "No, I am the idiot. I believed I needed a man by my side, someone who made me feel protected, safe. I choose a man way younger than me, I can't deny I felt attracted to him but maybe I settle down for him because of Rachel. I needed someone who treated her right, who would care for her like I do. And Lucas was really great, but... I don't love him enough to be committed to him my whole life." she stopped, a tear falling down her cheeks. "I've been thinking about us, about what we had together. You've always been with me; for better or for worse, you've been a great part of my life and I've never given you a real chance, House. I think we should try... together..." she concluded, looking at him.

"I don't want to ruin your chance at a family, Cuddy." he confessed.

She shook her head. "You haven't ruined everything. I did. He's a great guy, but I need something else in my life..."

"I was in my apartment earlier, while Marina was at the park with Rachel. I told Wilson I had an emergency and drove off somewhere. But then I came back and I wanted to see you. I can't stand the thought of you and Lucas together," he admitted. She walked closer to him slowly, waiting for him to go on with his train of thoughts. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" she asked. "Because I am an idiot." She chuckled. "You've already said that..." she pointed out, raising a hand to his chest and one to his chin.

"What about Lucas?" he asked. "I've already talked to him." she replied. House smirked. "You kicked his ass, didn't you?" Cuddy laughed. "I'm a lady. Ladies don't kick asses." she commented with a smile. "But you did..." he repeated, causing her to laugh but in the end she nodded. "I kicked him gently." House smirked. "I'd have preferred it if you kicked his ass harder, but..." he stopped. "But?" she asked curiously, moving even closer to him.

"But I don't really care about that right now..." he continued. "I would better focus on someone else..." he said with a smirk.

"Who?" she asked, unable to hide a smile. "You know, there is a Dean of Medicine who keeps trying to seduce me..." he said with a small smile. "Really? I bet she is nothing compared to me..." Cuddy said pretending to be offended. "I can tell you that her ass enchants me..." he commented. "Oh, but I have more to offer..." she said mischievously. House frowned, his jaw dropped to the floor in surprise. "Dr Cuddy, this is sexual harassment! I could also sue you for indecent exposure!" he almost yelled down the street. She laughed. "You could, but this is my front yard and I am the law here." she said, their foreheads almost touching. "And after all, if both want it, then it's no harassment..." she continued, while his hands slid down onto her hip, stroking her skin through the T-shirt she was wearing. "Right..." he said. "I think this is the first time you tell me I'm right," she commented. He chuckled. "Don't get used to it..." he said before finally allowing his lips to touch hers. He could feel the smile tugging on her lips through their kiss. Emotions, thought and unspoken words were rushing along their nerves, making them feel like in a tornado. Waves of passion and love filled their blood during their toe curling kiss. Their hearts beat faster and faster by the second, their breathing was irregular, almost panting from the strength of their new expectation showed through their kiss, their fingers touching every inch of skin possible, tingling with desire. They felt like they were on top of a high building, ready to fall from it: together. Eyes close, lips and teeth nibbling at each other, tongues battling for dominance. A cry filled the air. Rachel had woken up and was demanding attention. They broke apart, staring at each other's eyes, before laughing together.

_You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might get what you need..._

_Keep fighting for what you think it's important and never, never, let people take you down._

. . . . .

**Thank you, readers, for sticking up wth this story till the end. I'll assure you I'll keep writing my fics (you won't get rid of me that easily)! **

**With love**

**Sissi & Gì**


End file.
